Lot 181
A PAIR OF FRENCH CAST IRON EGYPTIAN STYLE FIGURAL TORCHÈRES, PROBABLY VAL D'OSNE, AFTER THE MODEL BY MATHURIN MOREAU
LATE 19TH CENTURY
The Line of Beauty: A Collector’s Pursuit
Auction: 01 July 2026 from 10:00 BST
Description
each modelled as a child in Egyptian dress, unmarked (2)
Dimensions
123cm high
Footnote
Mathurin Moreau (1822-1912) was a French sculptor in the academic style who came from a family of prominent artists and sculptors who were key figures in 19th century France. His father was the sculptor Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Joseph Moreau and his siblings included the sculptors Hippolyte and Auguste Moreau. Born in Dijon, he first exhibited his work at the Paris Salon of 1848, and many years later received the Médaille d'honneur from the Salon in 1897.
Founded in 1835, the Val d'Osne foundry was France's foremost producer of decorative cast iron and ornamental street furniture. Their prolific output included architectural fittings, lamp standards, urns, sculpture, and fountains, often on a monumental scale.